Foreign termites menace Japan

The above map shows areas around Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Chiba that have reported formosan subterranean termite (also known as “super-termites” or イエシロアリ in Japanese) infestations. The nasty little creatures have a tendency to build nests inside the wooden beams of Japanese homes, and even in wooden parts of multi-floor apartment buildings.

FTV followed around a few pest control companies last week to create a dramatic investigative report with lots of scary music. Below are a couple excerpts.

Excerpt 1: Some pest control guys drill a hole in a way and stick a fancy camera inside to get a look at the innards of a termite nest. Quite nasty!

Excerpt 2: Graphics show how the termites branch out from a main nest to build sub nests within buildings. The queen termite dwells in the main nest, so destroying sub nests will not wipe out a colony. If the queen is located and eradicated, everything will be okay. If the queen is not killed, she will give birth to flying termites that will leave and form new colonies.